San Francisco State University (SFSU) is a public research university in San Francisco, California, by the shores of Lake Merced in southwestern San Francisco. It is big with 20,954 undergraduate students and a student body of 23,908. Admissions are less competitive with a near 96.1% acceptance rate. SFSU provides more than 126 bachelor's and 104 master's programs under eight colleges, with well-liked majors being Business, Social Sciences, Psychology, Biology, and Communications. The graduation rate for six years is 46%, and SFSU graduates have a median starting salary of about INR 43,58,000 (from $52,600 median earnings a decade after graduation).
University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a public land-grant research university in San Francisco, California, with main campuses at Parnassus Heights and Mission Bay. It is a specialized institution with no undergraduate study programs, accepting approximately 3,140 graduate and professional students in Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Dentistry, and Biomedical Sciences. Admission is extremely competitive with about 15% acceptance rate, with the School of Medicine having an acceptance rate of around 1.8% and other health sciences schools equally selective. UCSF is an R1 doctoral university with very high research activity, which generates more than $1.7 billion each year in research funding and ranks consistently around the world's best in the health sciences. Graduation rates for its professional schools are as high as 95%, and UCSF graduates have a median starting salary of around INR 83,09,000 (converted from $100,300 median earnings a decade after graduation).
| San Francisco State University | University of California | |
|---|---|---|
| Collegedunia Score | 4.1 Out of 10 | 6 Out of 10 |
| ranking (overall) | # 1401 QS World University 2026 # 1201 QS World University 2025 # 1388 Center for World University Rankings 2025 | # 39 Center for World University Rankings 2025 # 15 US News 2024 # 11 US News 2023 |
| Programs | UG Programs -72 PG Programs -35 | PG Programs -11 Doctorate Programs -18 |
| Acceptance Rate | 90.0 % | 15.0 % |
| Exam Score | IELTS-7 SAT-950 TOEFL-80 | IELTS-6.5 TOEFL-79 |
| Cost to Study | Average Tuition Fees 9256 [For UG Program] Average Tuition Fees 10700 [For PG Program] Hostel + Meal - 31970 Per Year | Average Tuition Fees 34077 [For PG Program] |
| Campuses and B-Schools | NA | University of California Hastings College of Law |
Top Courses Comparison
| exam scores | Duolingo - 120/160IELTS - 6.5/9PTE - 59/90TOEFL - 88/120 | Duolingo - 120/160IELTS - 6.5/9TOEFL - 92/120 |
| cost to study | Total Cost (Tuition + Living) -23124 | Total Cost (Tuition + Living) - |
| documents required | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose | #Letter of Recommendation + Statement of Purpose |
| application dates | Nov 1, 2025 (Application Deadline For Spring 2026 Intake) | Oct 15, 2025 (Round 1 Application Deadline For Spring Intake) Nov 15, 2025 (Round 1 Application Deadline For Fall Intake) Nov 15, 2025 (Round 2 Application Deadline For Spring Intake) Jan 15, 2026 (Round 2 Application Deadline For Fall Intake) Mar 15, 2026 (Round 3 Application Deadline For Fall Intake) May 15, 2026 (Round 4 Application Deadline For Fall Intake) Jun 15, 2026 (Round 5 Application Deadline For Fall Intake) |
Other Popular Comparisons
| General Facts | San Francisco State University | University of California |
|---|---|---|
| Type of University | University | University |
| Established | 1899 | 1864 |
| Student:Faculty Ratio | 23:1 | 4:1 |
| Male:Female | 44% Male, 56% Female | 48% Male, 52% Female |
| Weather |
San Francisco State University vs University of California, San Francisco
Subject Strength & International Rankings (2025/2026)
UCSF is internationally very ranked in health sciences, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and related areas; it is one of the top schools in those areas in the U.S. SFSU is less highly ranked internationally, particularly in international comparisons, and it has greater strength in applied undergraduate majors such as Social Sciences, Communications, and some biological or environmental sciences. Definite QS or THE ranks for SFSU tend to be much lower or SFSU might not show up in numerous subject-ranked top quartiles; UCSF shows up commonly in the top international subject rankings for medicine, biomedical research, etc.
General Information
UCSF is exclusively graduate, professional, and doctoral programs; its student population (not including postdocs and residents) is approximately 3,000 in its degree-giving programs. SFSU is a comprehensive undergraduate + graduate institution, with a much larger undergraduate enrollment. SFSU has a wide and diverse range of students, with numerous programs in liberal arts, sciences, business, etc., whereas UCSF's range of academic offerings is concentrated in health and life sciences, professional practice, and graduate research.
Acceptance Rate & Admissions
The most recent matriculation class for UCSF's School of Medicine had an acceptance rate (matriculants vs. applicants) of approximately 1.8%, which is incredibly competitive. UCSF med students' average admitted GPA is quite high (in the high 3.8-range), and average MCAT is approximately 517. Admissions to SFSU are much less selective with much higher acceptance rates, especially for undergraduate admissions; SFSU admissions requirements are more open, with lower minimal GPA/test score requirements than UCSF's professional/graduate programs.
Research Impact & Facilities
UCSF is a large international research university with high research funding, sophisticated labs, several professional schools (medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physical therapy, nursing, etc.), excellent hospitals, and research centers. SFSU's research is less extensive; it's more regional and applied in nature, with specialties in environmental science (e.g., Romberg Tiburon), communications, social justice, etc., as opposed to giant NIH/medical research productivity like UCSF.
Cost & Financial Aid
UCSF's graduate/professional program tuition is widely varying by program, with in-state vs out-of-state tuition very different; San Francisco living and related costs are high. SFSU's undergraduate tuition (in-state) is considerably less, and net price after aid is much more favorable for most students. SFSU has grants, scholarships, etc., and since it is within the California State University system, quite a number of in-state students pay considerably lower tuition compared to specialized UC graduate programs.
Career Outcomes & Alumni Success
UCSF graduates (from its professional / doctoral programs) of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, etc., have high median incomes compared to national means for those professions, approximating or surpassing those asserted in your original work for UCSF. SFSU graduates have more middle-of-the-road median incomes, typically corresponding to their majors (business, communications, social sciences, etc.). SFSU's six-year graduation rate is ~ 55% for full-time, first-time freshmen, above your initial 46%. UCSF professional schools (medical, dental, etc.) have very high rates of completion (often >90%) among admitted individuals.
